Antique Dutch Silver Miniature Chamberstick

A lovely little antique silver toy chamberstick with the long handle typical of the period. It looks like an exact copy of a full size original. Length 7.2 cms. Diameter 2.7 cms. Marked underneath with a Dutch makers mark*. Hoorn, Netherlands. Circa 1700.

This delightful little silver miniature is in very good condition with no damage or restoration. Excellent colour.
Please note that this item is not new and will show moderate signs of wear commensurate with age. Reflections in the photograph may detract from the true representation of this item.

Silver toys in the 16th and 17th century were made predominately for the children of kings and queens. The Dutch were the leading manufacturers, their most prolific period being 1725-1750, and by then wealthy royalty, landowners and business men were buying toys for their own pleasure as well as that of their children’s. During that period England was still suffering under Puritanism and it wasn’t until the Restoration of Charles II in 1660 that silver toys were made available in this country. The earliest English silver toys date from 1665 and were made in London; it was uncommon for toys to be made in the provinces.

Stock Code

8869

Medium

silver

Signed/Inscribed

*the three leave clover with crown is a unknown maker's mark. This silversmith is assumed to have been working in the city of Hoorn around the end of the 17th-early 18th century, according to the famous Dutch silver toy seller John Endlich and Emiel Aardewerk.